The muscle groups of the arms and legs are enclosed in a thick tissue called fascia that does not readily expand. Fascia creates individual compartments for the muscle groups by attaching to the bone, encircling the muscle and reattaching to the bone on the other side. Compartment syndrome is defined as a condition in which increased pressure within the confined space defined by the fascia compromises tissue circulation and inhibits muscular function. High pressure within the fascia compartment may be due to swelling and contracting of the muscles, or from excess bleeding after surgery or trauma, and other causes known in the art. Compartment syndrome generally refers to high pressure conditions within the fascia compartment that rise to a level requiring surgical treatment to relieve the pressure. Without relieving the pressure, the tissues within the fascia compartment can be deprived of oxygen, which can cause damage to blood vessels, nerves and muscle cells. Without treatment to relieve the pressure, compartment syndrome can lead to paralysis, loss of limb or even death.
One currently accepted procedure that is commonly used to treat compartment syndrome is fasciotomy, or cutting of the fascia to relieve the pressure. In a typical procedure, the physician cuts through the skin, and spreads the skin apart to reveal the fascial layer over the length of the compartment. Next, the fascial layer is cut in order to relieve the pressure. In most instances, the wound is left open until the swelling recedes, and then the skin is sewn up to close the wound. In some instances, a skin graft may be used to cover the opening. The cut through the fascia may be made with scissors in full view of the physician performing the procedure. Because the wound may be left open while waiting for the swelling to go down, the procedure can cause great stress on the patient, as well as create a substantially increased risk of infection. Although the open wound technique remains the most practiced treatment for compartment syndrome, more recently, an endoscopically assisted fasciotomy treatment has been proposed. While under endoscopic visualization, scissors are used to cut the fascia.
The present disclosure is directed to one or more of the problems associated with current treatment strategies for compartment syndrome.